Auxiliary take-up mechanism for knitting machines



H. O. WERNER May 4, 1965 AUXILIARY TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 15, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm TN H w A TTORNE Y H. O. WERNER May 4, 1965 AUXILIARY TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 13, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

HARRY 0. WERNER.

A TTORNE Y H. O. WERNER May 4, 1965 AUXILIARY TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 13, 1962 RIB CUFF SELVAGE m m N I E E Ks M: @WTC lma OEPO m m W m; I; i i MA Two COURSES Pmmwar Nnmaowza) V NECK NAREO wm/e JERSEY B007 WIDENING INVEN TOR. HARRY 0. WERNER. Maw

A TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,181,315 AUXKHARY TAKE-UP MEQHANlSlVl FUR KNITTENG MAQHINES Harry 0. Werner, Philadelphia, Pa, assignor to Wildman Jacquard Cd, Noiristown, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 13, 1962, Ser. No. 262,251 4 Claims. (Cl. 66-159) This invention pertains to an auxiliary take-up mechanism for full fashioned and other fiat knitting machines and, more particularly, to a mechanism for supplementing the action of the main take-up control when knitting string or continuous fabric of variable widths.

When knitting string or continuous fabric on flat knitting machines such as the fronts or backs of fashioned sweaters, the narrowing of the garment half at the shouldered portion to allow for neck and sleeve openings introduces a condition at the beginning of the next cycle or start of the next garment half which does not permit the regular take-up control efiectively to draw and tension the complete rib section or lower part of the next garment half being formed. As is well known to those familiar with the art, at the completion of one-half of a garment, several ravel courses are knit prior to starting the lower or rib portion of the next garment half. The regular take-up control at this point is in effect only drawing under tension those sections of the fabric that are directly connected to the upper or narrowed portions of the preceding garment half.

On certain fashions and styles it has been found advantageous and desirous to draw and tension the fabric for its entire width away from the knitting instrumentalities a distance suflicient to enable the regular take-up control to act effectively on the entire width of said fabric.

It is an object of the invention to provide an auxiliary take-up mechanism to supplement the action of the regular take-up control by providing a means for automatically grasping the entire width of the fabric or portions thereof and drawing the same under tension a predetermined distance at the beginning of each knitting cycle.

It is-a further object to provide a stripping means for releasing the fabric from the auxiliary take-up after the fabric has reached a point where itis effectively acted upon by the regular take-up control.

According to the instant invention, an auxiliary takeup mechanism can now be provided which consists of a bar member having a plurality of hooks mounted on and inwardly directed from said bar member. This bar member is interconnected by means of linkage arms to a cam follower and a continually rotating cam from which it receives its dictates. At the start of the knitting cycle, the hooks on the bar member are caused to move inwardly and upwardly to a point which places the hooks between the knockover bits. The books are caused to dwell in this position until suificient fabric has been knit to extend beyond the points of the hooks. After the aforementioned cam follower drops off the high point of the dictating cam, the bar, hooks and the linkage interconnected therewith commence to return to their initial position. It is at this point that the hooks grasp the overlying fabric and by the tendency of the mechanism to return to its initial position, the fabric is held and drawn under the tension as it is being knitted to a point where it is effectively acted upon by the regular take-up control. At this point, a trip member causes a stripper plate mounted on interconnected pivot arms to move in an outwardly direction, with respect to the knitting machine itself, pushing the fabric out of the hooks.

The stripper plate dwells at this point until the beginning of the next cycle and covers the hooks thus serving alarms Patented fvlay i, l65

as a protective means to prevent any possible or unintended fabric interference with said hooks.

The invention can be utilized on knitting machines designed to produce strip work, where a cuff or rib portion is sewn on during the finishing of a garment, or on machines producing fabric designed to be finished without a cuff or rib portion. Additionally, the invention is particularly adapted for straight bar knitting machines such as that disclosed in application Serial No. 699,345, filed on November 27, 1957, now Patent No. 3,111,828, with which it is possible to knit true rib fabric, and then transfer to the knitting of jersey fabric automatically for any desired extent in continuation of the rib work.

The above patent application is representative of the type of knitting machine to which applicant has applied his invention and since it may be referred to for a more detailed description of such machines, it is considered unnecessary to insert herein details of the general aspects of construction and operation of the machine to which the instant invention has been applied.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed disclosure and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a part of a knitting machine to which the invention has been applied showing the auxiliary take-up mechanism in an inactive position and the control linkage utilized to perform its intended function.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 4 but showing the novel take-up mechanism advanced to that position where the hooks will grasp or hook onto the fabric when indication is given by the dictating cam through the control linkages.

FIG. 3 is a view looking in the direction of the indicating arrows 3-3 in FIG. 2 omitting the auxiliary take-up quadrant.

FIG. 4 is a view in front elevation looking in the direction of the indicating arrow 4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a view showing schematically the fabric re sulting from a single cycle of the knitting machine.

Now referring to the figures of drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates part of a knitting machine to which the instant invention has been applied and includes among other parts a main needle bar 10 having a plurality of spring beard needles 11 assembled'along the length thereof and extending upwardly therefrom. A plurality of knockover bits 12 are carried in a known manner by a bar 13 and the usual sinkers 14 are utilized in a sinker head base 15. A rib needle bed 16 is positioned forward of and at right angles to the main needle bar 10.

The mechanism which comprises the invention derives its motion from a cam 17 positioned on the outer periphery of a drum 13. This drum is supported by a shaft 19 that is journaled at one end in the lower forward portion of the left-hand frame member 21 (FIG. 4) and its opposite end in a supporting end plate 21. Member 21 is provided with an integrally formed, forwardly protruding neck portion 22 the outer end of which is adapted to receive a hook-shaped lever indicated generally by numeral 23. This hook-shaped lever is pivotally attached intermediate its ends as at 24 to the neck portion 22 and the lowermost portion of said lever serves as a cam follower 25. The upper portion of this lever is formed as an inwardly directed arm 26 and serves as a means for transmitting the dictates which cam follower 25 receives from cam 17. A substantially upright arcuated lever arm 27 is pivotally attached to the innermost end of arm 26 as at 28.

The upper end of lever arm 2'7 is pivotally attached to a take-up quadrant 29 by means of a centrally disposed bolt 30 immediately adjacent to the tooth portion of said quadrant. Being pivotally attached to the machine as at 31, the toothed portion of the quadrant member 29 is caused to mesh with a gear member 32 which by means of cap screws 33 and pins 34 is positioned and secured to the hub portion 35 of a bar holder arm 36. This bar holder arm 36 is supported by the machines regular control shaft 37 and is freely rockable thereon. Pivotally assembled to the outer end of arm 36 a hook bar holder 38 is provided which is directed inwardly and upwardly toward the knitting instrumentalities. A roller member 39 assembles to and protrudes from the lower side of the hook bar holder and is adapted to follow an arcuated stationary track 40 which forms an integral part of a guide bracket 41.

The innermost end of the hook bar holder 38 supports and has fixedly attached thereto by means of screws 42 a hook bar 43. This bar member 43 is provided, on the upper edge thereof, with a plurality of hooks 44 which are held in position by an equal number of screws 45. Although FIG. 4 shows groups of hooks positioned along the length of bar member 43, these hooks may be assembled, if desired, along the full length of said bar or a distance sufiicient to accommodate the full width of fabric from narrowed portions such as a V-neck and shoulders to the forming of the rib on the next garment half (FIG. This depends, of course, on the design of the fabric being knitted and the amount of fabric desired to be affected by the auxiliary take-up.

FIG. 1 shows the various parts of the mechanism in an inactive position and FIG. 2 shows these same parts in a position which permits the hooks 44 to hook and draw the fabric under tension away from the knitting instrumentalities a sulficient distance to be effectively acted upon by the regular take-up control. The operation of the mechanism will be more fully described hereinafter; however, the various parts of the mechanisms when returning to their initial position as illustrated in FIG. 1 from that position of FIG. 2 initiate an automatic means for stripping the fabric from the hooks 44. This stripping means includes an integrally formed lug member 46 that protrudes outwardly from one side of the hook bar holder 38 and is adapted to make contact with the head portion of an adjustable screw 47 when the hook bar holder 38 is returning to its initial position. Screw 47 is positioned on the outer portion of a first arm 48 of a bell crank lever indicated generally by numeral 49. This bell crank lever is pivotally attached as at 50 to the lower forward portion of the guide bracket 41 and its second arm 51 is directed in a generally upwardly direction. A connecting link 52 is pivotally attached to the upper extremity of the second arm 51 as at 53 and its opposite end is attached in a like manner to the inner end of a rearwardly directed leg member 54 which is located intermediate the ends of a stripper plate lever 55 and forms an integral part thereof. Lever 55 is pivotally attached to the lower, rearward side of the guide bracket 41 as at 56 and being directed in a generally upwardly direction it has attached to its uppermost end by means of screws 57 a fabric release bar or V-shaped stripper plate 58. Above the leg member 54 the stripper plate lever 55 is provided with a rearwardly directed lug member 59 that is caused to bear against a stop rod 60 thus preventing excessive movement of said lever member 55 when moving in a rearwardly direction. Although by way of illustration FIGS. 1 and 2 show only those parts of the invention as seen looking in the direction of the indicating arrows 2-2 of FIG. 4, it is to be understood that, with the exception of the gearing utilized and the linkage interconnecting said gearing with the cam control means, there are parts similar in design utilized on the right-hand side of the mechanism and they are interconnected with the various left-hand members shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by such parts as the fabric release bar or stripper plate 58 and the bar member 43. Additionally, the hub portion 35 of the bar holder arm 36 is caused to move in unison with the righthand bar holder arm 61 by means of a tie bar 62 the ends of which assemble to the hub portions thereof by means of cap screws 63.

The invention is adapted to supplement the action of the regular take-up control in the knitting of fashioned garments such as sweaters. In knitting machines for which the invention is particularly adapted, it is common practice to knit complete garment halves in the form of string work having a draw thread and several ravel courses between one garment half and the next. As shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, several loose or ravel courses are knit after completing one garment half that was narrowed to provide openings for the sleeves and V-neck. It is at this point when returning to the knitting of waist width fabric or rib that the hooks 44 are automatically caused to hook onto and draw under tension those portions of the fabric not in line with the narrowed shouldered portions which are the only portions at this point in the cycle that are effectively drawn and tensioned by the regular take-up control.

In operation, drum 18 having cam 17 attached to the outer periphery thereof turns continuously in the direction of the indicating arrows shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and makes one complete revolution during each knitting cycle or the knitting of one garment half. During the knitting of the majority of the jersey portion and the narrowing of the same, the hooks 44 and associated linkage connected therewith are in the positions shown in FIG. 1. The stripper plate 58 overlies the hooks in this position and serves as a protective measure to prevent any possible unintended interference with the fabric. Just prior to finishing a garment half at the shouldered portion cam follower 25 starts to ride up on cam 17 which, in turn, lowers lever arms 26 and 27 causing the quadrant member 29 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction. Gear member 32 being in mesh with the toothed portion of the quadrant 29 is automatically caused to turn in a clockwise direction and being attached to the hub portion 35 of the bar holder arm 36, it causes the latter to swing upwardly pushing the hook bar holder 38 from the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2 and to ride up the arcuated track 40 by means of the roller member 39, to its fullest extended position as shown in FIG. 2. During this movement contact is lost between the lug member 46 which protrudes fromjthe side of the hook bar holder 38 and the head portion of the adjustable screw 47 on the first arm 48 of the bell crank lever 49. This loss of contact between these members permits contraction of spring 64 thus raising the first arm 48 from the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2 and, in turn, by means of the connecting link 52 the stripper plate 55 is pivoted rearwardly from that position shown in FIG. 1 to that position depicted in FIG. 2.

When the hook bar holder 38 is in its fullest extended position, it places the hooks 44 which protrude from the hook bar 43 between the knock-over bits 12. At this point when the cam follower 25 is at the high point of cam 17 sufficient fabric (ravel course A, FIG. 2) has been knit to overlie the hooks 44. Continued movement of drum 18 then causes cam follower 25 to drop off the high point of cam 17 permitting the hooks 44 to hook onto the fabric. The various parts of the mechanism then have a tendency to return to their initial position under the infiuenceof gravity shown in FIG. 1, but the hooks in the fabric prevent their immediate return. This tendency of the various parts to assume their initial position holds those portions of the fabric not acted upon by the regular take-up control under a desired amount of tension until suflicient fabric has been knit and is effectively tensioned by said regular take-up control.

The return of the hook bar holder 38 to its original position, causes the lug member 46 to once again contact the head portion of the adjustable screw 47 and pivot the bell crank lever 49 to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2. This movement causes the stripper plate lever 55 to pivot forwardly to that position in FIG. 1 where the e) stripper plate 58 is caused to push the fabric B away from the plurality of hook members 44.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. An auxiliary take-up mechanism for fiat knitting machines adapted to supplement the action of a main take-up control and adapted to tension continuous fabric of variable width, having in combination a bar member with a plurality of hooks spaced on and extending from said bar member, means for causing said hooks to hook automatically said fabric and to draw the same under tension a distance sufiicient to be acted upon elfectively by the main take-up control, and a further means for causing said fabric to be stripped from said hooks which includes a hook bar holder having a roller member and a laterally extending lug member, a stationary inclined arcuated track on which said roller member is adapted to travel, a bell crank lever pivotally attached to the lower portion of said track including first and second arm members, a generally vertical and pivotally disposed stripper plate lever having a stripper plate fixedly attached to the upper portion thereof, said stripper plate lever being mechanically linked to said first arm of said bell crank lever and said second arm being provided with a screw adapted to be contacted by said lug member as said hook bar holder and roller descend on said arcuated track thereby moving said stripper plate in a manner to push said fabric upwardly and away from said hooks.

2. An auxiliary take-up mechanism for fiat knitting machines adapted to supplement the action of a main take-up control and adapted to tension continuous fabric of variable width, having in combination a bar member with a plurality of hooks spaced on and extending from said bar member, means for causing said hooks to hook automatically said fabric and to draw the same under tension a distance sufficient to be acted upon effectively by the main take-up control, and a further means for causing said fabric to be stripped from said hooks which includes a hook bar holder having a roller member and a laterally extending lug member, a stationary inclined arcuated track on which said roller member is adapted to travel, a bell crank lever pivotally attached to the lower portion of said track including. first and second arm members, a generally vertical and pivotally disposed stripper plate lever having a stripper plate fixedly at tached to the upper portion thereof, said stripper plate lever being mechanically linked to said first arm of said bell crank lever and said second arm being provided with a screw adapted to be contacted by said lug member as said hook bar holder and roller descend on said arcuated track thereby moving said stripper plate in a manner to push said fabric upwardly and away from said hooks, said screw being adjustable to control the amount of movement of said stripper plate.

3. An auxiliary take-up mechanism for fiat knitting machines adapted to supplement the action of a main take-up control and adapted to tension continuous fabric of variable width, having in combination a bar member with a plurality of books spaced on and extending from said bar member, means for causing said hooks to hook automatically said fabric and to draw the same under tension a distance sulficient to be acted upon effectively by the main take-up control, and a further means for causing said fabric to be stripped from said hooks which includes a hook bar holder having a roller member and a laterally extending lug member, a stationary inclined arcuated track on which said roller member is adapted to travel, a bell crank lever pivotally attached to the lower portion of said track including first and second arm members, a generally vertical and pivotally disposed stripper plate lever having a stripper plate fixedly attached to the upper portion thereof, said stripper plate lever being mechanically linked to said first arm of said bell crank lever and said second arm being provided with a screw adapted to be contacted by said lug member as said hook bar holder and roller descend on said arcuated track thereby moving said stripper plate in a manner to push said fabric upwardly and away from said hooks, said screw being adjustable to control the amount of movement of said stripper plate, said stripper plate being adapted to overlie said books when said mechanism is in its initial and inactive position.

4. An auxiliary take-up mechanism for flat knitting machines adapted periodically to supplement the action of a continuously operating main take-up control during the knitting of continuous fabric of variable width, said mechanism comprising a bar member with a plurality of spaced hooks extending from said bar member, cam controlled means for causing said hooks periodically to engage said fabric, and a further cam controlled means for causing said fabric to be stripped from said books which includes a hook bar holder having a roller member attached thereto, a stationary inclined track on which said roller member is adapted to travel, a stripper plate pivotally mounted for movement across the ends of said spaced hooks, and means attached to said hook bar member adapted to effect movement of said stripper plate to urge said fabric away from said hooks when said hooks have reached a predetermined position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN AUXILIARY TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR FLAT KNITTING MACHINES ADAPTED TO SUPPLEMENT THE ACTION OF A MAIN TAKE-UP CONTROL AND ADAPTED TO TENSION CONTINUOUS FABRIC OF VARIABLE WIDTH, HAVING IN COMBINATION A BAR MEMBER WITH A PLURALITY OF HOOKS SPACED ON AND EXTENDING FROM SAID BAR MEMBER, MEANS FOR CAUSING SAID HOOKS TO HOOK AUTOMATICALLY SAID FABRIC AND TO DRAW THE SAME UNDER TENSION A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO BE ACTED UPON EFFECTIVELY BY THE MAIN TAKE-UP CONTROL, AND A FURTHER MEANS FOR CAUSING SAID FABRIC TO BE STRIPPED FROM SAID HOOKS WHICH INCLUDES A HOOK BAR HOLDER HAVING A ROLLER MEMBER AND A LATERALLY EXTENDING LUG MEMBER, A STATIONARY INCLINED ARCUATED TRACK ON WHICH SAID ROLLER MEMBER IS ADAPTED TO TRAVEL, A BELL CRANK LEVER PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID TRACK INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND ARM MEMBERS, A GENERALLY VERTICAL AND PIVOTALLY DISPOSED STRIPPER PLATE LEVER HAVING A STRIPPER PLATE FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF, SAID STRIPPER PLATE LEVER BEING MECHANICALLY LINKED TO SAID FIRST ARM OF SAID BELL CRANK LEVER AND SAID SECOND ARM BEING PROVIDED WITH A SCREW ADAPTED TO BE CONTACTED SAID LUG MEMBER AS SAID HOOK BAR HOLDER AND ROLLER DESCEND ON SAID ARCUATED TRACK THEREBY MOVING SAID STRIPPER PLATE IN A MANNER TO PUSH SAID FABRIC UPWARDLY AND AWAY FROM SAID HOOKS. 